£120k fine results from roof fall

EE Renewables Limited was hired by a homeowner on Sherfield English Road in Salisbury to move nine solar panels higher up on the roof.

A 23-year-old man working for EE Renewables was sent to do the job on 16^th December. However, in the course of his work he slipped off the roof and fell four metres to the ground, sustaining a broken femur as a result.

A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the work has not been properly planned and there was an absence of fall prevent measures.

EE Renewables Limited, of Salterns Lane, Fareham, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £4,716 in costs at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 23^rd December 2024.

HSE inspector Sam Applebee said: “EE Renewables Limited did not properly plan this work so it could be carried out in a safe manner. There were inadequate means of protecting the workers from falling off the roof, with the company failing to provide edge protection.

“Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of injuries and fatalities in Britain, so it is important that companies ensure they implement the correct control measures and safe working practices.”